Colin Firth in talks for Kursk

Actor Colin Firth is in talks to star in new submarine disaster movie 'Kursk'

Colin Firth is in talks to star in the submarine disaster movie 'Kursk'.

The 55-year-old actor is reportedly in negotiations to take on the lead role of Captain Gennady Lyachin alongside 'The Danish Girl's Matthias Schoenaerts, whose role is still a mystery, in the forthcoming flick, according to Variety.

The film will be directed by Thomas Vinterberg - known for his work on 'Far From the Madding Crowd' - taken from a script by 'Saving Private Ryan' screenwriter Robert Rodat and is based on Robert Moore's book 'A Time to Die'.

The script tells the story of the K-141 Kursk - a nuclear-powered submarine that sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea in August 2000 - as the sailors fight for survival, while their families desperately battle political obstacles and impossible odds to get them home in one piece.

It is thought 'Kursk' executive producer Lisa Ellzey may draw comparisons with other submarine-themed Hollywood movies such as 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'K-19: The Widowmaker' when the forthcoming project gets going.

Meanwhile, Firth most recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Jude Law in 'Genius' and can be seen next in the forthcoming movie 'Bridget Jones's Baby'.

He is also expected to reprise his role as Harry Hart in 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle'.